Chapters 9, 10 and 13 really cleared up some of my anxieties about writing workshop. Prior to reading these chapters, I felt anxious about actually being prepared to implement the writing workshop in the classroom. Chapter 9 pretty much laid out the structure of a writing workshop by actually giving some ideas for structures and routines that can take place in the writing workshop. I really liked the idea of having a basket for students to place texts that have been marked to be copied for their study and the bulletin board that displays students' pieces of writing. This chapter even gave examples of material resources needed for the writing workshop. Having the basic lay out of what is needed for writing workshop makes me feel confident that I can actually do the writing workshop in my classroom.
I thought it was pretty neat that chapter 10 encourages teachers to share from their own writings. I would have never thought to do this but I can see how it brings authenticity to what the students are learning. It also makes perfect sense to teach punctuation, capitalization, spelling and structure by using examples from students' own writings. If students are able to apply what they are learning in writing workshop to their own peices rather than correcting or identifying it on a worksheet, they are more likely to understand the importance of what they are learning.
I'm so glad that chapter 13 explained how to create your focus lesson. Again, I like how the teacher is encouraged to pull from their own writings. My only concern is what if I don't really write a whole lot? I mean, I totally agree that for teachers to teach writing well, they should be writers themselves. But right now, I don't write a whole lot. In fact, I write for academics and for practical reasons but I don't have a personal writing journal. I guess that is just something I'll have to work on! These chapters were definitely helpful!
You'll develop a collection of writings over time. I hope this class is going to give you a few pieces to use as a starter, and then you can add from there when you have time. Otherwise, you are fine to lean on published work by authors, and let the kids contribute their own writing as well.
ReplyDeleteYour point about the kids applying the lessons to their own writing is huge. This is a big key point in the class. We can do the same things that we all learned from worksheets, but do it in the context of work that means something to the kids. Well done!
Beth